posted Nov 26th, 2010 - The NSL News reported on 22 November 2010 that DeLand Shmeland won the NSL Shugar Cup this year. It was not a gift, even though the final leaderboard after seven rounds shows Shmeland 14 points ahead in 1st place.

Teiwaz had put together a colorful Falcon lineup to offer some resistance in the AAA Class competition, and it is worth taking a closer look at the team members. Teiwaz Falcon's first jump together was Round 1 in the meet, and it was surprising how close to Shmeland the pickup team managed to stay.

Falcon lost a lot of points due to video angles, as videographer Jose Melendez was new to 4-way competition. He was learning quickly though and eventually had a clean performance in Tound 7. Video trouble and infringements added up to a total of 11 points in seven rounds. That was too much to have a chance to keep up with the best US amateur team of 2010 (see NSL News on 30 September 2010).

NSL Championship 2010		Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Round7	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	O,K,7,N	L,17,4	16,B,E,Q	A,18,6	14,M,21	13,D,C,10	9,5,15	Total	Avg
1	DeLand Shmeland XP	21(-2)	17	21	15(-2)	15(-1)	15(-2)	16(-1)	120	17.1
2	Teiwaz Falcon	20(-1)	15(-2)	18(-3)	12(-2)	14(-2)	12(-1)	15	106	15.1
3	Skytrax	20(-1)	10(-1)	21(-1)	14	12(-1)	10	16	103	14.7

Robert Chromy, full time coach and long time Teiwaz member, was in the Center Outside slot. His piece partner in the Point slot was Katie Woods who does not meed much introduction. She has been flying the same slot for UK's national 4-way team in the Open Class, Satori, and had competed with her British team at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010.

Her Satori team mate Aaron Faith was also in DeLand working with a military training group from the United Kingdom. He would have liked to jump for Teiwaz, as well, but was not available due to his work situation.

Ben Liston was in his usual slot, the Center Inside position, where he was driving the Teiwaz engine this time. He is still holding the unofficial US amateur record average of 19.3 that Mass Defiance posted at the USPA Nationals 2007. DeLand Shmeland had another chance to get closer to the record mark, while Ben Liston was watching the effort competing with Teiwaz Falcon.

International Teiwaz Falcon lineup at SkyQuest 2010

Last not least, the Falcon lineup had Elena Mazaeva from Russia in the Tail slot. She used to be a member of the Russian national 4-way team in the female category, the Ladybirds. She won her first bronze medal at the World Meet 2004 in Croatia.

DeLand Shmeland member Sally Hathaway was in the Synchronicity lineup of 2004 that won the gold medals for the USA. She and Elena Mazaeva were now competing again in two different lineups, Sally Hathaway for DeLand Shmeland and Elena Mazaeva for Teiwaz Falcon. Sally Hathaway came out another time on the top.

Elena Mazaeva made the next trip to a World Championship of Formation Skydiving with the Ladybirds in 2006. This time, she beat the US team Elsinore Select to the bronze medals after a nerve wrecking tie breaking procedure. Russia did not have a female 4-way team in France 2008, and Elena Mazaeva did not compete in Menzelinsk this year. She was only an observer. However, she may be back again soon and enjoyed the casual competition with Teiwaz Falcon in the meantime.